Strength in Numbers

From Carpe Chaos

Strength in Numbers

Treaty date:		Xotron 1422
First published on:		August 1st, 2010
Race(s) featured:		Turikasuul
Pages:		13
Chapters:		1
Illustrated by:		Daniel Allen
Written by:		Eric Carter

Comic

Titles

Strength in Numbers (Official Title)

Toe Counting (Working Title)

This Little Turi (Tentative Title)

Subversive Education (Tentative Title)

Counting Revolution (Tentative Title)

Counting Rebellion (Tentative Title)

Numerical Rebellion (Tentative Title)

Summary

Setting

DATE: Xotron 1422

Suulmalla during the Xotron occupation.

Atmosphere

A playful lighthearted, somewhat sentimental vignette.

Not sure whether I want this to be an all natural backdrop, or maybe have a Xotron ship or two in the sky. I think at least one ship at one point to show that this is during the occupation. But maybe more traffic, maybe not. We'll see.

There needs to be a very subtle underlying sense that this is an occupied world. The mother is teaching her child something subversive. It's small, but it's the best she can do to pass on her heritage and racial pride to the next generation.

Art Style

I'm thinking maybe watercolors?

Characters

A young mother Turikasuul: she is not overly decorated with fetishes.
Her Child: Maybe 3-4 years old.

Neither need names

Background

Script

A Turikasuul mother teaches her child how to count in the traditional pre-occupation way.

Xotron taught the Turikasuul base 10 counting (see Time And Distance Standards#Base Numbering); this mom is teaching her child base 16. SUBVERSIVE

The story should be done in a watercolor style, and the panels should be divided in such a way that if we wanted to place them all side-by-side in a single 50-foot wide (and very thin) poster that reads from left to right, we could. Like this:

Panel

The script is rough, so that means more freedom for the artist. The dialog is rough and subject to change as the comic is drafted.

Mother and child come up to the rocks (it's on Suulmalla, so it's raining, dark, etc.).

Mother asks if child wants to learn how to count.

The child enthusiastically agrees with wide cute "eyes" (whatever Turikasuul do to be cute).

The mother says "first, lift up your left foot", she raises here foot in the air and wiggles her toes.

The child does the same.

"Now put one toe out." The mother uses her inside toe, the child uses his center toe. He struggles for a minute to get only the center toe, his outside toe wants to go out too.

"That's 1. It's the first number."

Now your second toe. Child struggles to keep the outside toe down, then gives up and keeps his inside toe down.

Mother raises her middle toe. "That's two. And now the third toe. That's Three."

The mother puts her foot down and asks "Now how do you think we do 4?"

The child thinks for a moment then raises his whole leg into the air and rolls onto his back giggling.

The mother smiles and hold up her right inside to and lowers her left foot. "That's four." The child imitates her. She brings up the inside toe of her left foot, "Five." Child imitates.

"Six. Seven. Now where's eight?" The child looks at her for a moment.

She then raises her middle toe on the right foot. "Eight!" Child immitates.

Nine is two toes on the right foot, 1 on the left. "Ten, eleven."

Mother puts her left foot down and counts twelve.

Child has lost interest and has both feet in the air with all his toes up.

Mother draws his attention back by counting "Thirteen, Fourteen" quickly and the child fumbles to follow her. "Now 15!"

She holds all 6 fingers up and child does the same.

She grabs the child with her left foot and pulls him close then hugs her with her arms.

She rises carrying him, they walk a few feet and she lets him crawl down her side and walk beside her. They walk away.

Rough Draft

Mother and child come up to the rocks. Mother asks if child wants to learn how to count. The child enthusiastically agrees with wide cute "eyes" (whatever Turikasuul do to be cute). The mother says "first, lift up your left foot", she raises her foot in the air and wiggles her toes. The child does the same. "Now put one toe out." The mother uses her inside toe, the child uses his center toe. He struggles for a minute to get only the center toe, his outside toe wants to go out too.

"That's 1. It's the first number." Now your second toe. Child struggles to keep the outside toe down, then gives up and keeps his inside toe down. Mother raises her middle toe. "That's two. And now the third toe. That's Three." The mother puts her foot down and asks "Now how do you think we do 4?" The child thinks for a moment then raises his whole leg into the air and rolls onto his back giggling. The mother smiles and hold up her right inside to and lowers her left foot. "That's four." The child imitates her. She brings up the inside toe of her left foot, "Five." Child imitates.

"Six. Seven. Now where's eight?" The child looks at her for a moment. She then raises her middle toe on the right foot. "Eight!" Child immitates. Nine is two toes on the right foot, 1 on the left. "Ten, eleven." Mother puts her left foot down and counts twelve. Child has lost interest and has both feet in the air with all his toes up. Mother draws his attention back by counting "Thirteen, Fourteen" quickly and the child fumbles to follow her. "Now 15!" She holds all 6 fingers up and child does the same. She grabs the child with her left foot and pulls him close then hugs her with her arms. She rises carrying him, they walk a few feet and she lets him crawl down her side and walk beside her. They walk away.

End.

How a Turikasuul child counts on his fingers

On the left foot, 1 toe up is one, two toe up is 2, 3 toes up is 3. On the right foot one toe up is 4, two toes up is 8, three toes up is 12. Combine the feet by adding them.

Here's how many toes are up on each foot and what numbers they equal: L-R = Number represented

1-0 = 1

2-0 = 2

3-0 = 3

0-1 = 4

1-1 = 5

2-1 = 6

3-1 = 7

0-2 = 8

1-2 = 9

2-2 = 10

3-2 = 11

0-3 = 12

1-3 = 13

2-3 = 14

3-3 = 15

Trivia

This is the first Carpe Chaos comic to contain a reference to the Xotron.
As this comic demonstrates, Turikasuul natively count in base 4.
Strength in Numbers can be read continuously as a 10.5-foot-long poster.